When most people hear or read the name Kin Kariisa or Kaliisa as some write it, their minds immediately run to Next Media boss but there is alot you all did not know about this selfmade tycoon and businessman. We have everything here.
Kin Kariisa (born August 24, 1976) is a Ugandan businessman, media proprietor and philanthropist. He is the CEO of Next Media Services, a multimedia company in Uganda mostly known for its flagship television network NBS Television.
Career:
Kariisa started out as a barber in Mbarara Town before joining Makerere University, where he would later start developing web applications for a Danish company, Metrocomia Uganda Ltd. in 2000.
He later quit Metrocomia to start his own company, Kin Systems, one of Uganda's first ICT companies. Courtesy of his success with Kin Systems, Kariisa was contacted by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to build a campaign system that would automatically send messages to mobile phones. Kin would go on to be appointed Assistant Presidential Advisor on Information Communications and Technology (ICT).
How he Started Next Media Services:
Kariisa took over NBS Television from its founder, Nathan Igeme Nabeeta, in 2008 as CEO and grew it into Next Media Services, a multimedia company that runs three television stations (NBS Television, Sanyuka TV & Salam TV), a radio station (NXT Radio - formerly Jazz FM) in 2018, online news portal (Nile Post), digital communications agency and productions houses (Next Communications & Next Production). His radio station, NXT Radio, is Uganda's pioneer audiovisual radio station.
Kin Kariisa Businesses:
Currently, Kin serves as Chairman of the National Association of Broadcasters, an umbrella industry association for all Television, Radio and Online broadcasters in Uganda.
In 2012, he was appointed Director of Ecobank Uganda Limited, one of the largest banks in Africa for 7 years, and appointed Chairman Board of Directors in 2019 for the "Pan African Bank."
He is also the Chairman Board of Directors for Nile Hotel International Ltd., the Government enterprise that owns Kampala Serena Hotel.
Kin also serves as the Chairman Board of Directors for Soliton Telmec, the leading telecommunications technology company in East Africa, supporting both the basic and complex infrastructure required to enable electronic communications across the region, which include data centers, fiber optic lines and related routing and transmission equipment.
Kin Kariisa Education Background:
Kariisa holds a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics from Makerere University, Master’s degree in Computer Engineering from Huazong University in China, Honorary PhD in exemplary community service from the United Graduate College, Texas US, MBA from United States International University, Nairobi, Kenya.
Kin did his PhD research in Computer Security and Identity Management at Security of Systems Group, Radbond University in Nigmegen, Netherlands. He previously served as a lecturer of e-Government and Information Security at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda and Radbond University in Netherlands.
Kin did his post graduate courses in Strategic Business Management, Strategic Leadership,
Leadership Communication and Strategies for Leading Successful Change Initiatives at Harvard University, Boston USA.
For his primary education, Kariisa attended several schools in Ruhaama before joining Gombe Secondary School in Mpigi for his O’ level. In the final UNEB exams, he was not only the best student in the school but also the best in mathematics in the whole country in O-level in 1994.
Personal life:
Kin got married in 2004 to Julie Kariisa (Juliet Janat Tumusiime) and together, the couple has three children.
Recognition:
He was named among the most influential Ugandans in 2019 in a survey conducted by Public Opinions International a Pan African Organisation.
